CHAPTER 1
In a time filled with war and strife, where man cannot trust the machines he created, anarchy began to take a slow and inevitable dominion. Reploids, humanoid, robotic beings with a will, were being consumed by the Sigma Virus, a program which strips the carrier of conscience and ethics. These infected reploids, known as Mavericks, were increasing at an alarming rate. The only hope for humanity lay in the Hunters. The Hunters were reploids who originally fought against weaker, autonomous reploids, but due to the rise in sophisticated Reploids turning maverick, were forced to fight against their kin. Repliforce, the home of the Hunters, was all but wiped out, and humanity hung by a thread. Very few places in the world were yet to be touched, but, nevertheless, some still existed, either because the city was to far away to be affected, or because of the protection the city gave. One such city had the fortune of falling under both categories, and thrived even among such times, Gateway City.
But even a town like this wasn't completely unaffected. Crime was still astronomically high, even if it was mostly petty thievery. Mavericks were a problem here as well, but these were quickly dealt with as their numbers were incredibly small. In this city of luxury in these troubled times, people have nearly forgotten what it means to love others as the self is placed higher than the fate of others.
"Give it back! Mommy made it for me before she died! Please, give it!"
"Yeah, right. Something this cool deserves more...appreciation than you can give. And I'm sure it could fetch me a nice price, maybe enough to eat for a few weeks."
"It's the only thing that I own! You people have already taken everything else that I had."
"Nice story, I couldn't care less about your problems seeing as I have enough of my own. Now shut up and stop creating a scene, you no one will help you without expecting something in return."
"Please, it's mine, giv-" The pleading girl stopped mid-sentence and gazed at her tormentor, or rather, past him at a strange man standing behind him. The boy continued his ranting, having not noticed the man behind him.
"See how easy it is? The system works! You give me what I want and you get that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes when you give. So, that way everyone is happy!" He placed a small object in his pocket. "Now, must be going, I have to run more 'errands'. I'll take..."
The boy's voice was suddenly cut off by a gloved hand, the dirty brown leather contrasting with the pale pink of the boy's throat. The hand applied only enough pressure to ensure the boy's attention. The boy was rotated until the child was staring straight into...what? There was nothing to see, just a dark hood with a slight glow that sparked on the left side of the 'face', if one could call it that.
"You shouldn't pick on someone weaker then yourself, lest you find yourself prey to your own devices," the hood leaned forward, still speaking gently. "Now, I'm inclined to show mercy to those who show it themselves." The hand tightened slightly. " I hope you understand."
"O-Of course, I was only, uh, joking and, and admiring the, uh, craftsmanship of this crystal," he hastily replied. "See, here, all clean!" he giggled nervously.
"Good, I'm glad to see that it was all a misunderstanding on my part," he retracted his hand, patting the boy on the head. "Now, I think you've admired it enough, hand it back to the young lady and run along, alright?"
Without a word, the boy ran off, darting in and out of crowds. The strange man bent down and retrieved the crystal and, without hesitation, held it out to the young girl. She couldn't have been more than ten years of age, slightly thin and taller than average. Her clothes, if you could call them that, hung from her shoulders, her shoeless feet heavily scarred from abuse. She hesitantly reached out and, after a few moments, took her treasure back.
The man stood up, and turned away without a word.
Shocked by the generosity of this stranger she dashed forward and grabbed at his cloak, hoping that he would stop long enough for her to thank him. As she stretched her hand out, her shoeless foot was impaled by a small glass shard and she fell forward, flailing for balance. Her hand snagged on the hem of his cloak and pulled it off of him. She hit the ground hard and the wind was knocked out of her lungs. As she lay there she could here an audible gasp echo around her. Before she could question the cause of the commotion she felt herself lifted off the ground and carried off quickly. Catching her breath she turned and looked upon the face of her captor. The shock coursed through her like lightning, overloading her already wearied mind and she fell unconscious.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself laying on an auto-cot, the pick-up-and-go bed popular with the homeless, cheap and tough. She sat up, eyes bleary, and tried to look around. As her vision cleared, she recognized the abandoned factory that served as her hiding place. To her surprise, one of the generators was up and running, producing a comfortable warmth.
"Glad to see that you're up. You've been out the better part of two days. Though I never thought that I would be forced to run."
At the sound of the voice, the girl spun and looked upon the man from the day before, stifling a shriek. He wore a dirty, weathered cloak that billowed in the slightest draft. He stood over six feet tall, and emitted an aura of power. She might have been in awe had it not been for the fact that the man standing before her wasn't human. Technically, he wasn't even alive.
"Re...ploid. You're...!"
"Yes, I'm a reploid." He removed his cloak, revealing green and brown armor, heavily cracked and, in some places, missing. His right arm was strapped to his back and his left looked ready to fall off as well. His helmet was of a model that she had never seen: Triangular, with three protrusions appearing from his temples and crown. What caught her attention the most was the complete lack of any crystal in his forehead. His golden eyes never left her face, annoyance flecking his gaze, waiting for a response.
The child pulled back, inching toward the generator, oblivious to the heat. "Aren't you going to...kill me?" Her question came under her breath, as if breathing was reason to die.
"Could you blame me if I wanted to? Considering that we reploids are hunted ceaselessly for supposedly being "maverick". I can see why we'd want to fight back, for revenge for the atrocities you humans are responsible for." He took a step forward, chuckling without mirth. "Look at me, I'm falling apart. How do you think I got this way? It wasn't by accident, no. I'm still running from the Hunters, without any respite. So, what do-"
"Mavericks killed my mommy! They killed my sister! Where is the justice in that? They did nothing wrong. I, I just want to..." She then resigned herself to crying, caring not of what the reploid thought.
"Mavericks are violent, yes, that is true, but it's a fact in life: people die. Doesn't matter who you are-"
"-'We'll all die eventually.'" She looked up at him, eyes red from tears. "It's true, but it doesn't make it any easier. You know that, right?"
He remained silent, but averted his gaze.
"My name's Rhet. What's yours?"
"Rhet? That's quite a masculine name for a girl. As for me, I have no name."
"Why not? Everyone has a name."
"Not quite. Names are only given to those that have value to another. My...master, as it were, stole me, though I don't know where from. They wiped my memory, afterward. Though for some reason I still have bits of incoherent data, memory, left behind of my past. Anyway, I was nothing but a tool to be used and, eventually, discarded. When the mavericks started to arise outside of our city, my master became fearful and ordered the termination of all reploids in his power. I escaped with two others, but they fell eventually as well. Well, enough of the sob story, I still need to-"
"Jet!"
"Wha-"
"Your name is 'Jet'!"
"Jet?"
"Mommy told me about them, 'fast and powerful machines, protector of the people!' You look fast and strong, and besides," she giggled. "It sounds like 'Rhet'!"
"My name?"
"Yeah! You like it? If you don't, that's fine, but I like it!"
He just stared at her. How could she give him a name? Names weren't given just given away, they were purposefully gifted to those whose lives held meaning. His had none.
"Now, we need to fix you up, somehow." She paced with a twirl. "We need money and parts. Oh! Energy crystals..." She trailed off in thought.
"Why are you doing this for a complete stranger? And I never said I wanted your help."
"Oh? Hmm-hm!" She skipped over, placing both of her small hands in his left. "Because we're family now! We're both orphans and helping each other is what a family does, so if I help you we can be a real family! 'Kay?"
He was stunned into silence. Family? That was a laugh! She was a helpless human girl, and he was a maverick reploid. Two completely different beings. It would never work, and besides, she would only be a hindrance.
Heavy machinery was heard outside the thin walls approaching the door.
"Oh, no! Jet, hide, quick!"
"I never agreed that that was my name!" He leapt over a large crate. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine, just trust me!"
"You're probably just going to turn me in! Like hell am I going to let you-"
The warehouse doors burst open and we're ripped off their hinges from the impact. He dove back down behind the crate, and braced himself for the worst.
Two towering constructs rolled in. Each was blue with streaks of grey running horizontally. A large sphere was what consisted of its' torso, a single red lens protruded from the center. Two large arms bore heavy anti-riot cannons and solid ammunition sub-machine guns. Two smaller arms were placed directly below and to the sides of it's "eye"; these arms didn't bear any weaponry, instead, they sported three 'fingers'. All of this was mounted on four leg-like, wheeled extensions; making the constructs mobile weapons platforms. Both of the vehicles, enforcers, scanned the surroundings and upon sighting Rhet, they brought their arms to bear and approached her. The leading one stopped inches from her.
"Are you alright, young miss? We heard there was a kidnaping and that the perpetrator fled here. Do you know where he is?" The construct spoke in a flat monotone that didn't relay the kindness it was trying to convey to her.
"What's he look like?" Rhet looked at the constructs, nonplused by their size. Or weaponry.
"He is a maverick of green and brown, heavily damaged, but desperate."
"No, there's no kidnapper here. See, I'm fine!"
"Listen, miss, that reploid is a maverick, he's very dangerous. Any information would be welcome."
"Like I said, there's no one here."
"Alright then, we'll need to take you in so you can be returned to your family. Now come with us."
"But, my family is right here."
"Really?"
Jet was appalled. How stupid can you get? You should have said that your family was not too far away, or just went with them! Damn it! Now, what? If they find me, it's over! In my condition I could hardly carry the girl back, let alone fight...
"Yes, they're buried here."
"I see, I'm sorry to here that. Well, lets be off. Come with us."
"I don't want to."
"Too bad, girlie! Your coming with me!" The voice came from the second construct, it's sensors turning red.
"What's wrong, 13? You're acting strange again. You need another maintenance examination?"
"No, nothings wrong. There's no one else here as witnesses." The second construct trained it's weaponry on the first. "At least, there won't be."
"Calm down 13...there's no need to be rash. Let's just-"
13 opened fire on it's superior, shredding armor and internal workings like paper. The large reploid fell, struggling to stay upright. It raised it's head and managed to say the word maverick before 13 proceeded to crush it under it's mighty leg, internal fluids spilling from the gaping hole, pooling around body.
"It's time for the revolution to begin! No one will stop us and the humans will fall!" It rolled over to Rhet. "You should be honored that you will be the first human to go, considering how worthless you are!"
Rhet was transfixed to the floor, unable to move out of fear. The large reploid seemed to be enjoying the ordeal. It brought it's weapons straight up and started unleashing salvo after salvo into the roof and framework. Tile and steel rained down, draping or crushing anything it landed on.
That fool! Announcing that you're there doesn't serve anyone but the hunters! I really couldn't care less if it kills the brat, but if this keeps up, I'll be forced to run again. And if the hunters got their hands on her, she would reveal me! I'll worry about the girl later, the immediate problem is the trigger happy idiot before me. I don't have any weapons that could damage him quickly enough to prevent him from shredding me to pieces. If I could only find...
He looked around, but couldn't find any sort of suitable weapon to use.
Damn! This isn't gonna be easy.
Taking a thin, long pipe, he hurled it at the rampaging maverick. It didn't damage it anymore than putting a scratch on it's paint, but it managed to catch it's attention. The maverick ceased firing and turned to where Jet was hiding, pleasure riding in it's voice.
"Well, well, what have we here? Another human to play with?" It opened fire on the crate tearing it apart, the smoke hiding the rubble. After a few seconds, the smoke cleared, revealing nothing but shrapnel. Something stood out among the metal, a green and brown arm.
"Ah, looks like it was a reploid instead. Sorry, bugger! Didn't mean to totally obliterate you!" It turned back to Rhet. "Now, where were we?"
"I'm not sure about you, but I was planning on taking your ass out." Jet's voice carried from behind the maverick Enforcer, his arm no longer strapped to his back.
"So you're alive, still. But you're out an arm now, so I can deal with you later."
"Sorry, but I don't plan on following your schedule!" He leaped forward, grabbing onto it's head and thrusting a shard of metal into it's 'eye'. Blinded, the maverick started firing randomly, many of the blasts coming very near to Rhet. Jet refused to let go; here was the only place where he even had a chance of winning. The maverick reached up, grabbing Jet and throwing him against the wall like a discarded doll. Jet struggled to his feet and leaped back onto it's head, kicking the shard deeper. The flailing maverick ran into several crates, knocking them over and nearly bucking Jet off. He kept shoving the shard deeper into the enforcer, hoping to hit something vital. His hand was wet from the fluids that poured from the eye, making it very hard to have any solid hold on the metal. Suddenly, the maverick stopped moving and collapsed, throwing Jet from his perch. He hit the ground hard, but managed to keep damage to a minimum by rolling. After several moments he rose and walked over to the fallen machine. Something was wrong, for it to have died so suddenly meant that...
Jet spun around, looking for any sign of unwelcome company. The factory was empty of anyone but him and the fallen maverick. Wait, where was Rhet?!
Shoot! She probably ran off in the confusion. And she's probably gone to the authorities to 'help', and if she didn't go willingly, then she was probably taken in for questioning! And even if she was just crushed under some rubble, I still don't know who took down the enforcer! With my luck it's probably got friends. Man, what do I do? That girl has just fatally screwed me! If I ever get my hands-
"Help me..." There was a fit of coughing coming from beneath the fallen maverick. "I can't get back out. I'm trapped under it's internal power converter, and the ruptured auxiliary coil is making it hard to breathe."
So she's alive, and, conveniently, unable to run. Maybe my luck has just took a turn for the better.
"How did you get under there? Did you just let it fall on you?" He leaned down to hear her better, his curiosity growing.
"Of course I wouldn't just let it fall on me! I just couldn't get out once it collapsed!"
"'Get out'? You mean you were...inside it?" His voice becoming little more than a whisper, not believing what he was hearing.
"Yeah, I was the one who clamped down the exhaust outlet, which caused the auxiliary coil to rupture, cutting off all energy to the vital functions without killing it. So can you-"
"How did you know all that? That's hardly common knowledge, even I don't know the in's and out's of my own body. So, how is it-"
"Would you let me out first, I told you that it's hard to breathe here..." Her coughing fit returned. "Please, Jet..."
"For the last time, I never agreed to that name! Now listen here, I'll help you only if you'll tell me everything I want to know. Understand?"
Silence answered back.
"Well, do we have a deal or not?"
Silence.
"Rhet? Damn it, fine, I'll get you out first, but don't you die until then!"
Finding a steel pipe, he used it as a lever to roll the construct over. The construct refused to move at first, but after straining for several seconds it began to move. It finally gave up and succumbed to inertia, coming to a rest at nearly a right angle with it's chest crushed from the impact. He could see a small arm hanging out of the service hatch, and began to pry the metal apart. Opening without to much of a fight, it revealed a small opening that was untouched by the behemoths weight. Laying face down was Rhet, her rags almost completely torn off. Non too gently he pulled her out, and set her on the ground. He couldn't see her breathing, her face was pale, and when he checked her pulse, it was faint. Seeing no other choice, he tore off what little was left of her clothes and began to perform CPR, trying to resuscitate her. He wasn't sure exactly what he was doing, but he'd seen humans perform many times. He filled her with life giving air over and over, searching for any sign of life. He fought with a fervor that surprised himself, but convinced himself that it was only for information.
Suddenly she started gagging, gasping for air. Her face began to fill with color again and her breathing returned to normal, but she didn't wake up.
"You stupid girl, I told you not to die until I got what I wanted, but then you went and tried to do just that! If you try that again I'll kill you! In fact I should-"
"Jet..." She was dreaming and curled up around his arm.
He was taken aback and became silent. What was it about her? She was an orphan who knew the workings of reploids better than he did, she had enough guts to attack a rampaging Enforcer, and she trusted him for some reason. He wasn't kind to her, in fact, he treated her like she was, an insignificant insect that should be exterminated, yet she still risked her life to help him, and seemed to be genuinely concerned with the condition he was in. But, even if he couldn't contemplate the reasons for why she acted, he had enough honor and pride remaining to repay a debt. The last thing he wanted was to owe a human anything.
He lifted her from the floor, and, after hiding her in his cloak, draped her over his shoulder, and retrieved his arm from the remains of the shredded crate. Leaving his auto-cot behind, he trudged out of the warehouse, careful not to attract any unneeded attention. Once he was a safe distance from the warehouse, he looked back. The place was absolutely crawling with hunters and the police. Disdain was obvious in his gaze as he watched, repulsed at the notion of reploids serving humans. He turned back and headed to the only place left to hide, north, into the heart of the slums.